


old, but i'm not that old

by Olsies



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Friendship anniversary, M/M, Professor Harry Potter, chosen family, ignoring canonical epilogue for the most part because fuck that
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-17
Updated: 2017-09-17
Packaged: 2018-12-31 00:02:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12120183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Olsies/pseuds/Olsies
Summary: Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Draco see Rose off on the Hogwarts Express.





	old, but i'm not that old

**Author's Note:**

  * For [PencilEater](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PencilEater/gifts).



> Happy 13th Friendaversary Boo!!

Harry woke to the sound of gentle tapping on his window. Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, he groped for his glasses and sat up; yawning he stumbled over to the window. Pulling back the curtain he saw a tawny owl he recognized as Ron and Hermione’s with a letter. Yawning wider, he opened the window and the owl hopped in. Harry took the letter and offered her some cold leftover tea from the night before. The owl hooted, took a few gulps and set off again. Harry opened the letter and smiled down at Ron’s familiar scrawl.

_Harry, Hermione and I just wanted to make sure that we were still on for meeting up at Platform 9¾ today. I tried to tell her that of course you would be there, that you wouldn’t miss seeing your niece going off to Hogwarts and your nephew wants to see you. Let us know through Floo if you can’t come, otherwise I’m just gonna assume you’re going to be there. -Ron_

Harry yawned again and turned back towards the bed to look at his sleeping partner.

“Harry, what you doing?” Draco mumbled and Harry sat on the edge of the bed.

“Ron sent a letter making sure we were going to meet up with him at Diagon Alley,” Harry said and Draco reached out pulling Harry closer.

“Tell him no. Tell him I’m going to keep you in bed all day, and ravage you. Tell him-” Harry shut him up by kissing him. They broke apart after a few minutes and Harry brushed some hair out of Draco’s eyes.

“Can you believe we’ve known each other for _over_ twenty-six years?” Harry asked and Draco sighed.

“Can you believe what a little shit I was?” He shook his head and sat up, the blanket dropping to his waist. He grabbed a hair tie from the bedside table, carded his fingers through his hair, and put up his hair.

“Yes,” Harry said, and Draco rolled his eyes and stuck out his tongue.

“Love you, too,” he said leaning over kissing Harry again.

“You don’t have to come if you don’t want to,” Harry said. Ron put up with Draco for Harry, but things were still tense when the two of them were together.

“No, no, I’ll come. I’d rather be with you today than without, even if…” He sighed. “It’s not like I don’t get it, but still. I wish we could get passed this.”

Harry nodded, kissed Draco’s cheek again, squeezing his hand.

“Want some tea?” He asked as he stood up and pulled some pajama pants on over his boxers.

“Sure,” Draco said, got up, and went to the bathroom to brush his teeth.

Harry went down to their kitchen, put the kettle on, and put some toast in the toaster.

***

An hour later, Harry and Draco apparated to Platform 9¾. Harry looked around and Draco took his hand, pointing towards Ron and Hermione with his chin. Squeezing his hand, Harry led them over to their friends. Ron’s face lit up when he saw Harry, fell when he saw Draco, and then he put on a stiff smile. Harry looked over his shoulder apologetically and Draco gave him a knowing look. Harry squeezed his hand again, this time in apology.

“Harry!” Hermione squealed and the two red headed children looked up and rushed over to their uncles, chanting their name. Harry smiled as Rose hugged him and Hugo hugged Draco. Despite Ron’s intolerance to the other man, his kids adored Draco. The others walked over to their friends and children.

“Harry, it’s so good to see you,” Hermione said kissing his cheek. “And you Draco.” She pulled him into a hug and kissed his cheek as well. Whether Hermione actually approved of their relationship, Harry didn’t know, but he found he really didn’t care.

“How have you been?” Ron asked hugging Harry tightly.

“Good, I’ve been real good,” he whispered in Ron’s ear. “And you?” He asked as they pulled apart.

“We’ve been good. Hermione’s been having kittens about Rose going off on her own,” Ron said and Hermione rolled her eyes as Ron and Draco exchanged handshakes.

“I love how little faith you have in Harry and Neville’s ability to watch over your child,” Draco teased and Harry looked at Hermione as her cheeks turned red.

“It isn’t that, it’s just…” She brushed some hair behind Rose’s ear and she smiled up at her mother.

“You’re fine, Hermione, Draco’s just teasing. You wouldn’t believe the amount of letters I get from first year parents asking about their children,” Harry said shooting his partner an annoyed look. Draco nodded in agreement as Ron scowled at him, clearly thinking there was no call for that sort of talk.

“You’re really going to be there?” Rose asked anxiously looking up at her uncle.

“He will, and so will I,” Draco assured her, patting her head.

“You’ll be there?” Hermione said as Ron raised his eyebrow.

“Got a job at the library,” Draco explained.

“Oh, did Madame Pince finally retire?” Hermione asked and Draco nodded. “Good for her,” Hermione said as the Hogwarts Express tooted a five minute warning. “Oh, we should get you on the train, Rose!” Hermione said and lifted her daughter’s trunk with a flick of her wand. “Still have your rucksack?” Hermione called over her shoulder as she walked towards the train.

“Yes, mum!” Rose called back, gave Draco and her father one more hug, and looked up at Harry. “Are you sure you can’t come on the train with me?”

Harry knelt in front of his niece. “Ah, love, you’ll be fine. You don’t want a teacher on the train anyway. It spoils the fun,” he said, winking up at Draco who just rolled his eyes, shrugging his shoulders.

“Alright, but you’ll be at the feast, won’t you?” She asked and Harry kissed her cheek.

“Of course. And I’m sure you’ll find Teddy somewhere on the train; he’ll look after you if you run into a spot of trouble,” Harry assured her. Hermione nodded in agreement.

“Alright.” Rose sighed, flicked her little brother’s ear before hugging him, and disappeared into the crowd leaving the boys alone as she went to find her mother. Ron glanced a little warily at Draco and smiled at Harry.

“Remember the time Dobby tried to save your life by closing off the barrier and we had to take the flying car?” Ron asked, making Harry laugh and Draco roll his eyes.

“You mean the most boring train ride ever?” Draco snorted and Hugo looked up at the adults, eyebrow raised. “Don’t worry about it, kiddo,” Draco said ruffling his hair. The train whistled again and Hugo grabbed Draco’s hand, pulling him to the edge of the platform.

“I want to go wave at Rose!” He yelled and they left leaving Harry alone with his best friend.

“You look good,” Ron said scratching a scar on his arm absentmindedly, something he only did when he was nervous.

“You good?” Harry asked and Ron nodded, looking over at the train, clearly only half paying attention at best.

“Yeah, yeah,” he said, shook his head, and looked back at Harry. “What say we ditch them and get some lunch later, my treat.” Harry smiled softly, nodding a little remembering how twenty-six years before they’d shared lunch on Harry. They of course had no idea just what they were doing that day, and a warm, comforting feeling filled his chest as he thought of how far they’d come, how much they’d overcome and survived.

“Alright,” he said. “We’ll go when the others come back.” They talked quietly about work for a few minutes before Hermione, Draco, and Hugo came back. Hermione brushed some tears from her eyes and Harry squeezed her shoulder.

“She’ll be fine. I’ll make sure of it,” Harry said. Hermione just nodded and took Ron’s hand. The crowd started to dissipate now that the train had pulled away.

“Do you think it would be ok if Harry and I snuck off on our own for a bit?” Ron asked, and both Hermione and Draco gave them the same _you want to leave me with them_ look and Harry laughed.

“It’s just for lunch, you both’ll be fine.” Draco sighed, nodded, waiting for the rest of them to get on with it as Hugo hugged him.

***

Lunch went by quickly. Harry and Ron talked about their day to day lives, talked about how happy they were with their prospective partners, and about who would be taking care of 12 Grimmauld Place while he and Draco were away at Hogwarts.

“Draco wants to sell it,” Harry said.

Ron made a face. “You can’t do that!” As Harry nodded in agreement.

“That’s what I told him, and he says he understands, but I think it’s hard for him sometimes. He hasn’t talked to his parents in years, and I think it hurts that I have _some_ positive tie to my family, even if they are dead.”

Shrugging, Ron took another sip of tea. “If you need, Hermione and I could go up once in awhile, just to check in, you know?” Harry smiled a little.

“If you want to,” he said. “I don’t want to put you out.” 

“Don’t be dense. You know I wouldn’t offer if I didn’t want to do it.” Harry laughed. Some things about his best friend would never change.

They sat in silence for a moment, then Ron opened his mouth and closed it again. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “You know I’m trying, don’t you? With Draco? If nothing else, I appreciate that he’s brought you back from the ghost you were three years ago.” Harry nodded. Three years before Harry had hit rock bottom. After weeks of not hearing from him during the summer, Ron had found him in Sirius’s old room just staring at the ceiling. He looked like he hadn’t eaten in a month, and barely recognized Ron when he came in. He kept asking when Sirius was going to get back. Ron made him come back to his place where he and Hermione cleaned him up and then got him help. After that he slowly seemed to come back to himself, but he still had a haunted look in his eyes.

Then one day he ran into Draco at Diagon Alley where Harry was picking up some supplies and Draco was working for Flourish and Blotts. They hadn’t seen each other since they worked on rebuilding Hogwarts, and Draco could have made a comment about how terrible Harry looked, but instead he offered to buy him an ice cream. They sat and talked a bit awkwardly about the weather and such until Harry just started crying. And it wasn’t quiet, but rather huge gulping sobs that had people turning to look and see what had happened. Instead of rushing away from him like Harry’d expected, Draco came around the table, put his arms around the other man, and held him. It was several minutes before Harry realized that Draco was crying too, and Harry just squeezed him harder. Soon after that they started coming round to each other’s places all the time, and by the end of the year, they were dating.

“I know,” Harry said. “And I appreciate it. I understand that some wounds are just too deep to heal.” Ron shrugged, but said nothing. “You know you’re still one of the most important people in my life, don’t you?” Ron smirked at him.

“I should be the most important thing in your life,” he said, and Harry stuck his tongue out at his friend.

“I’m going to tell Hermione you said that,” Harry teased and Ron threw a napkin at him.

“You better not, Harry! She’ll be in no mood for that today,” Ron growled and Harry rolled his eyes.

“Don’t you worry, Roonil Wazlib. I won’t tell her,” he said.

Ron paid for their food and they walked to a designated apparating point.

“You’ll write, won’t you?” He asked, and Harry nodded.

“Of course. Every week. And let’s just hope that Rose doesn’t get into as near as much trouble as we did,” he said, and Ron laughed.

“For all our sakes, I hope so, too,” he said hugging his friend. “Thank you. You’re the best,” Ron whispered, pushed away, and apparated before Harry could respond. Snickering a little, Harry shook his head, and apparated home so he could finish packing before the school year started.  
Most days he couldn’t believe how good things were, always waiting for the bottom to drop out, but today he just reveled in the fact that he had a family that loved him, and in this moment, everything was ok.


End file.
